Educational appliance.



` J. F. McGRATHI [DucArloNAL APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED UEC.26. lf9l6.

Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

A ...ru Hm uns cm Pnomuma. nusumcrwd. n. c.

Ll O

J'OHN F. MGGRTE, OFDGRCHESTEB, MASSACHUSETTS.

EDUlCA-T-IONAL APPLIANGE.

Specification of Le'tt'ers Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 191.8.

Applicationnidn'ember 2s'. 1916. serisl'No. rs's'joe 4mal fractions. Theinstruction of children in any subject is facilitated and theV value ofthe instructi'en -increasedl if the subject; is capable of graphicillustration and if this illustration be presentedA in ari-interestingand attractive form. The teaching' 'of common and decimal fractionswhile capable 0f illustration, and4 while usually taught. by

illustration, has usually been taught either at the blackboard, or bydistributing familiar objects divided into a few of their fractionalparts.

The possibilities of suchV instruction' are therefore limited by thephysical limitations of the blackboard or the illustrative exhibits, asthe case may be, and by the particular ability of the individualinstructor. The sub`ect isditiicult of graphic illustration wit eitherof these methods, and while some little enterprise and ingenuity hasbeen displayed by individual instructorseither in the sketching offamiliar-objects and a few of their fractional parts upon a blackboard.or in the devising of appropriate physical exhibits, such instruction atbest has been limited by the particular ability ofthev individualinstructor and has always been incompletely adequate.

The obJect of my invention is to provide aI device and methodl ofteaching fractions combining the features of blackboard instruction andinstruction by physicaleX- hibits, but relieved of the numerous objec'-by the science of common and decimal fractions and their relation toeach other may be graphically and attractively visualized for the pupil,and by the use of which device the pupils interest is not only createdand retained, but is developed in such a way as to make an increasedinterest in this branch of education.

My device and method eliminates to a considerable degree the personalequation and not only affords a novel complete instruction in thissubject, but a'l'so provides for more convenient and rapid' instruction;

In' carrying outI my invention, I provide plurality of comparable nn'itmembers. each with a different fractional or decimal Scaling' andpreferably, by slide or other cover, capable of being blanlted orexposed in' Whole' or in' part to facilitate or compel visuallc'o'nn'n'arison.

may be conveniently done by providingshde's' working in" slidewaysacross' spaces having the: suitable indications. These indications arerelated to each' other in terms of zi uniti the more' usual of itsfractions, and by' moving the slides relatively, proportionate fractionsof the whole may be exposed, thus enabling' the pupil to visuali'Zethe'reflation of the parts of' a unit to the unit itself;

The' construction and manner of using my 4device isfi'illy di'sclosed'in' the specification which follows, illustrated intheaccompanyi'ngdrawings' and particularly defined in the appended claims.-Throughout the specification a'nd' drawings lilte reference charactersare correspondingly employed, and in these drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of my device.v and Figs. -2 and 3 are detail:sections on th(l lines 2 2', and' 3 3, respectively.

My de vice consists of a frame A provided longitudinally thereof betweenits end members with a plurality of channel members B ,defining spacedlslideways in which work -slides E'. These slides are -preferably of alength equal to, substantially one-half the total' lengthoftheslideway's and are all of uniform length'. In order to more clearlypresent' the intendedI instruction the slideways andE slides a-r'e givencontrasting colors. A convenient method of differentiating the" slidesand slideways as well as portions of the s'lideways themselves is tocolor white that portion of the slideways to the left ofthe-transverse--median- -l-i-ne-ef--the-fiaunegand to provide said areawith black indications E. representingfractions of a unit, and to colorblack both the other half of the slideways and the slides. Obviously,however, the slides and slideways may be otherwise distinguished.

Each slide is provided with an operating portion F here shown as acup-like projection drawn up out of the stock of the slide, whereby theslides may be moved in their slideways. The slides preferably bearnumbers G indicating their fractional relation to the length-ofhegraduated area and constitlie unit, as lialves, thirds,fourtlisgretgmas" tuting'a unit movable to expose equivalent plainlyshown inthedrawingsszir-z f; Q;e:ffcgyiportonsnfad elements# Theuppermost slide, as here shown, rep- 4. In a device of the classdescribed, a 5 resents a unit and when inovedi orn.thef.lfr'a'me'fhaving a plurality of slideways i11- right until it abuts theend member o-the-cluding areas of indication denotingI fracfranie A. atthe leit covers one-.half -of.tional.'parts of a unit, and a pluralityof inslideway and graphically li ll us rates tl1 e dependentlyadjustableslides representing a unit or integer. Theo'tlierslides'ae adapt?'unit'adaptedtd'coperate with said indicaed to besiinilarlyradjusted,,relatiyeto the tions to visually indicate therelation 0f corresponding fractional:indications E 'fof ractionalpartso'f a unit-to the' unit.

' the slideway's according totheir fractionalif,'Q5.',Inagfdevicefofglthe,class described, a values` G to thusvisually' -reproduce fi'ac frani'e havinga'plurality of s lideways'intional parts of-theunit. j ic'luding areas'l o'findication denotinfrac- T he progression tothe d'eciinal syst-e111 and ,tional 'parts V'of'a unit;v and a pluraity of the relation to fractions is effectedbya'scale 'independently'adjustable slides representing J indicating 'aslier'e'shown aunit graduated into hundredths, andpreferablycoex tensivetherewith a1Q Otliei s calesl'Kgand L, indicating'aslhere -showvn,'fh'als3'eiglitlis,

Aquarters,-s'iXths andtliir'ds s o f decimal equivalents@ 'j Balowch@seriesbffsels 1I: mcd f gitudinal series :ofgcarfdf'holders N", wijf fydesired 'constructiong'andadap "toontih cards Q bearing suitableintegeir are' adapted to 'befieinoved and interchang'ed in4 th'eirli'older's to'forni various eiiu'i'nbers, and4 thesenunibers arcade. :tolie pointedOH into' dec'iiiials'by 'a ecinial point P which as lu'e'reshownr sl1'i'n a way I- arrang'ed beloiv and @pente "ze with the series of cards;.Vari'us inodii'cat'on's in thefl fornif'and construction of my device4fas ivellflasf't'lie nature and character of the:subject"1'ri att ermay obviouslyrbe resorted Vto if vvi tl 1' in tl1e limits of theappended claims. I j

' What I therefore claim and desire to" se- 40 cure by LettersPat'entis:

l. In a device ofthe class described, a' plu- `rality ofcontiguouselenijen'ts .provided v vith different graduation s',. andselectively'fe'kposable to afford conip'arison ,of equivalent portionsof'saidelenients. '2. In 'a device of the class described, af'pluralityof contiguous elements provided vvith different fractional graduations,and' 'selectively Vexposable to. afford comparison" of'equivalent'portionsof sai'dfeleiinents'i; 3; In a device of the classdescribed, a plu'- rality of contigruousl elements provided vvithdifferent divisional g'rad'uations'in tliat area tolone...side.cf tlietr2LnSYc;se @dianliggd means of a length substantially'equiyalentto aunit ofa n'gth' e'q'ual'to 'substantially half "al .sl'id'e" for' 'each'of 'saidiv graduated' elements 'off ahlen thfsubstantially equivalentto 'the lengthfo the graduated are'a and a slide'w'ay 'for 'each' of'said graduated. elements'- for 'guiding said 4"s lide's to exposeequivalent 'graduated portions of, said elements. 1 8. anedu'cationalappliance, a plurality of: 'contiguous elements provided with dif-`feren t i' divisional graduation, and .means 'constituting .units orconip'arably exposing equivalent 'graduated 'portions of said 'elei -I rj l In testimony whereof'l'affix'my signature in presence of two vvit'nesses.

1 OHN EVMOGRATH.

"'Witnessses:''v i.

MARY P.Wo'iHnRsrooN,

Magies F. WEISS.-

copis' of Vthis patent may' be obta'ine'dffcrlfve c'e'nts'e'zic'hijby'addrefssing the' Comr'nissioner pt Patents,

